


Fireball

by TurtleMeat



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: A stab at Grillbys backstory, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Decisions, Bad Puns, Depression, Drinking to Cope, Eventual Smut, Excessive Drinking, God someone help these kids, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Magic-Users, Mentions of Cancer, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sad with a Happy Ending, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, everybody needs a hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:01:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22012261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TurtleMeat/pseuds/TurtleMeat
Summary: What happens when a sad bitch ™ and a fiery bartender meet? Well sparks fly! But then crash and burn because, ya know, we need some story here!River’s a self proclaimed sad boi, with a barrel full of issues that come with it.Grillby’s a no nonsense bar owner.That’s it.That’s his character.Follow River through a life full of monsters, family, friends, loss, and growth.
Relationships: Grillby (Undertale)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 8





	1. Fireball and Rumpleminze

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING
> 
> This fic is going to contain sensitive topics including self harm, depression, anxiety, suicide, death, and a heaping tablespoon of angst. 
> 
> Please don’t read if any of those make you uncomfortable.

Sunlight streamed inside the small room from a crack inside the blinds, warming the skin of the sleeping human inside. River’s nose crinkles before burrowing deeper into the collection of blankets and pillows on the bed. 

A drowsy air filled her head as she desperately clung to the last remnants of sleep, but was interrupted by a furred paw swiping across her face. 

Opening her eyes a bare slit revealed deep blue irises.

“Mrrrow?” The black cat purred before gnawing on her outstretched hand.

“Alright, alright. I’m awake.” Shooing the cat, she slowly stretched popping her joints, all while unplugging her phone. There was no messages, or notifications. Of course.

**“** **_Who would want to talk to you_ ** **?”** A voice nagged in her head causing a dull ache to bloom behind her eyes.

River’s morning routine was quick, efficient, and no nonsense inside her small home. Just how she liked it. Placing the bowl full of cat food for Gonzo on the floor, she brushed her teeth while checking the time on her phone. 

Right on time. 

  
  


The last rays of sunshine were slowly disappearing over the horizon when she was pulling on her work uniform. Working third shift at a restaurant had its benefits for a night owl like her, including the ability to sleep until six in the afternoon.

River’s shocking blue hair was pulled into a quick ponytail, allowing it’s soft curls to tumble over her shoulders. Bare bones makeup was slapped on as she watched the clock. Gonzo, now done with his food, marched inside her room tail held high. His amber eyes watched as she zipped around the kitchen, begging for pets. 

“You little cuddle bug, I can’t be late for work.” River giggled, but stopped filling her coffee cup to grant the fat cat a few scratches behind the ear causing him to erupt in purrs. She smiled as he rolled on the counter, no doubt covering it in cat fur. 

A soft jingle tugged her attention away from dropping just a  _ smidge _ of caramel schnapps in her coffee. Picking the phone up, River saw a text in her group chat with her friends.

**THE Bitch :** u can pick me up for work right

**sadboi :** Yeah

**THE Bitch :** cool

Sighing once, River rolled her eyes but grabbed her purse and slipped her work shoes on. “Okay Gonzo, look after the house for mama while she’s gone. Love you!” Blowing a kiss to the feline, River locked the door and hustled to her car in the cool summer air. 

Her light blue work sweater felt suffocating in the heat. Flipping the air conditioning on, she swiped her phone open to text her friend that she was on her way before kicking the old car into drive. 

Sipping on her iced coffee, she gave an appreciative hum as that hint of schnapps really brought out the subtle flavors in the dark roast.

“It’s about time you showed up!” Tiffany called out as River pulled up to her apartment building. 

She was a shorter, dyed blonde haired woman with colorful tattoos splashed across her skin, causing her to look a bit like someone had spilled a bucket of multicolored paint on her. Her hair was styled in a swoopy mohawk, with her new lip rings keeping her lower lip slightly puffy.

“Sorry, Gonzo just had to be pet before I left.”

“Hmmph, sure. That’s what you say  _ now _ .” Tiffany hops inside the car but crosses her arms. They drove in silence before Tiffany huffs once more.

River quirks an eyebrow and glances at her friend.

“What’s your issue this time, is it Jimmy?”

“Yes it’s Jimmy! He ignored me all night even after I texted him! I can’t believe the  _ nerve _ of this guy!”

Tiffany ranted and raved about her on again, off again boyfriend for the rest of the car ride. River, who was used to this by now, stayed silent other than the occasional confirmation for her questions. 

“...but I think it’d be fun, don’t you think so River?”

“What? Sorry I didn’t hear that.” 

Tiffany gave a deep sigh before rolling her green eyes. “You weren’t paying attention to me, but I said that Greg had told me about this bar he found on the  _ other _ side of town. And we should totally go check it out tonight after work.”

The other side of town… she must mean the monster district, River thought quietly.

Monster’s had re-appeared above ground almost five years ago with their young ambassador in tow. Frisk, River believed their name was. They had been adopted by the royalty of the monsters and was doing a grand job integrating them into society. 

Most monsters stayed close to mountain that had been their prison, causing a large portion of them to live in town.

“Tiff we work until 6am today, bars close at three normally.” River twiddles the steering wheel as she pulls into the parking lot.

“Not tonight.” Tiffany sings. “You and me are off at midnight because Mr.Bossman has business to do and is closing early.” River casts a side glance at her friend before opening her car door.

“I think I would have heard about it by now.”

“If you tugged your head out of your  _ ass _ sometimes you would, c’mon let’s go.” Shaking her head, River followed her headstrong friend inside.

  
  


As it turns out, Tiffany was right, they were off at midnight. River sighed and rubbed her forehead. That damn headache had grown to a surging pain, even after scarfing down her meager supper of cold sandwiches and chisps.

“Alright bitch, we got to cover up those bags under your eyes and get you in some new clothes before we go out.” Tiffany said popping up out of nowhere, causing River to jump slightly. Sticking her tongue out playfully, Tiffany placed her heavy makeup bag down on the breakroom table.

“And what if I don’t want to go out tonight.” River asked causing her friend to narrow her eyes. 

“You’ve weasled your way out of going with me the past  _ four _ times, you’ve had enough time to be a sad mopey bitch and you know it. Plus there’s alcohol involved.” 

That did perk River up a bit.

“I could go for a drink.” River gave a wistful sigh before watching Tiffany assemble her arsenal of makeup. “But who’s driving us? I’m not going to drink if we’re going alone. Is Sam coming?” At the mention of their mysterious friend, Tiffany chuckled.

“I am, and no, it’s just us.” Greg, the main cook, appeared in the breakroom doorway. 

His large hands were tucked inside his jean pockets, with his sleeves pushed to his elbows showing the expansive tattoo sleeve painted on his skin. River avoided his gaze as she felt Greg study her face. 

He’d been trying to get her to go on a date with him for  _ months _ now, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready for one yet. Blue eyes meeting green, River shot Tiffany a pleading look.

“Greg how are girls supposed to get pretty with you standing there? This takes work! Shoo!” Holding his hands up in a sign of peace, Greg laughed and stepped away. After checking to see he was out of earshot, Tiffany turned to frown at River. 

“You need to tell him what you want girl, he obviously wants to be with you.”

“I  _ know _ but…”

“No buts, it’s been almost a year, you haven’t gone on one single date since!”

River rubbed her arm as Tiffany began applying makeup on her face. The thought of dating… it just made her stomach flip. Was it just Greg? Or was it dating in general? River wasn’t sure she wanted to find out.

“Here, put this on.” Tiffany held out a bag full of clothes after finishing. River peeked inside seeing a pair of tall stilettos nestled on top of a black dress. 

“Put. It.  _ On _ .” Tiffany seethed noticing her friend’s hesitation.

“Whoa now, no need to get pissy with me.” River grinned stepping to the bathroom. Her work uniform came off easily, but she stopped short after realising she only wore a sports bra to work. 

Tiffany, as always, thought of everything.

The dress was, thankfully, one she could go without a bra. Slipping inside the tight material, River kept her eyes purposefully off the full body mirror inside the bathroom, grateful the fabric covered her shoulders. Her makeup was immaculate, thanks to Tiffany’s handiwork, but her eyes still felt flat behind the sparkling eye shadow.

“This is dumb, I should just tell her I want to go home” River said aloud to her reflection.

**_“Nobody wants you to go anyway, everybody only says they like you.”_ ** That voice nagged again. River felt her chest tighten as her knuckles turned white clutching the bathroom sink. 

**_“You know it’s true. You’re going to die alone, with your cat eating your dumb corpse because nobody cares enough to check on you.”_ **

**_“Even your cat doesn’t really like you. You just feed it. That’s all.”_ **

**_“You mean nothing.”_ **

**_“To anyone.”_ **

River’s hands trembled as she took deep gulps of air. Shoving her clothes inside the bag from before, she squashed the voice looping inside her head. 

“I need a drink.” She calls out exiting the bathroom. “Like now.”

Tiffany grins and pulls her ever present flask out of her purse. “Have some fireball you sexy bitch.”

Ignoring her shaking hands, River unscrewed the metal flask and took a deep swig of the cinnamon liquor. It burned uncomfortably down her throat, but she took another gulp before smacking her lips. Feeling the hot liquid spread through her veins caused the nagging voice to quiet.

“Always appreciated love, now, how do I look?” River twirled, feeling the alcohol mix further in her blood.

“ _ Gorgeous _ , thanks to me. Now we need to stop at a gas station for some more booze since you drank my reserves. Greg! You ready?” Tiffany shouted.

“Yup.” Greg walked out of the breakroom before stopping and running his eyes over River’s new clothes. 

“Nice um, nice dress River.” He gave her an awkward smile. “Let’s stop at the one right across the street.” Motioning to Tiffany he stepped outside.

“Amazing, let’s go!” Looping her arm inside River’s, Tiffany marched them out to Greg’s car.

  
  


A few hours later, they hadn’t made it to the other side of town yet. But River felt  _ amazing _ now after three other bars. The liquor sang inside her, and she giggled as Tiffany’s minty breath ghosted over her ear to tell her a joke inside Greg’s car. 

Speaking of Greg, he had only had beers while the two woman had downed shot after shot at each stop. His eyes meet River’s in his rearview mirror as Tiffany whispered something to her, causing the two to burst out laughing.

“Alright ladies, the pinnacle of the night. I’ve got a friend who comes here often and says they’ve got the best drinks. You two ready?”

“Not as ready as you are to fuck her.” Tiffany slurred causing River to smack her but giggle.

“C’mon, let’s go inside.” River hopped out of the car but helped support Tiffany’s swaying form. Her phone went off with a message, causing River to juggle Tiffany’s arm and her purse before checking it.

**Athenas slut :** Don’t do anything stupid tonight you two. 

**Athenas slut :** img.pic

Sam had sent a picture of themselves holding their tarot cards, with the devil card upside down. Sam was a firm believer in the energy of the world and how it influenced their lives, this picture seemed to be another of their small pushes.

Walking her friend inside, her fuzzy brain had a few moments to process Sam’s message before she noticed the name of the bar. Grillby’s, huh, it said in flaming letters. 

Wait. 

That fire was real! 

It curled and crackled fiercely but stayed inside the lines drawn on the building.  _ Magic. _ Was the best idea her drunken mind could answer for her before stepping inside.

The first thing River noticed, was how  _ hot _ it was inside. It was a dry, blistering heat you felt from standing by a campfire. 

She almost felt as if she had stepped into a large oven with how the heat assaulted her senses. It sobered her just slightly.

Tiffany giggled something out as shades of red and orange blurred together slightly as River followed Greg’s taller form. 

It was rather lively tonight, as humans and monsters drank and sang together from the music blaring out an old school jukebox in the corner. Greg stopped at a squashy looking booth, and River helped Tiffany sit inside. 

A furred, bat like monster appeared holding menus and placing three drink coasters down.

“Welcome to Grillby’s! My name’s Rouge, we’ve got a special tonight on our house whiskey, it’s a dollar a shot if you’d like to start off with some.” She held a notepad as Greg glanced at River.

“That sounds amazing, can we have three shots of that, and we’ll need once second to look over the menu. It’s our first time here.” River slipped into her customer service voice giving a small, polite laugh at the end as the waitress scribbled their order down.

“Lovely, just let me know when your ready.” Rouge smiled and stepped away.

Greg grinned as he watched the shapley bat’s hips sway as she walked. River flipped the drink menu over as she scanned the cocktail selection. They had a wide range of human based drinks, for which she was thankful for, but their monster liquor section made it seem almost miniscule.

“I want to try this one.” Tiffany managed to get out before yawning. 

“The Moldsmal?”

“Yeah, it’s got midori and something else in it.” Tiffany’s eyes were starting to droop, a clear sign she’d reached her limit. 

“Alright we’ll have that for you then, and I’ll try Snowed-in. Looks pretty good. What about you Greg?” River glances at their quiet driver who coughed in his hand before smiling.

“A coor’s lite.”

“Really? You drank that all night tonight, try something new.” Their shots had arrived by the presence of Rouge, who dropped them down expertly before holding her notepad out once more.

River placed their orders quickly, and helped Tiffany grab ahold of the small shot glass in front of her.

“Bottoms up!” Greg says clinking his glass against hers. The liquor washes down her throat, smooth and silky with a hint of hickory. River was surprised there was no burn but felt the familiar warmth tingle her toes that monster food gave her. 

“Damn that was smooth. I’ll definitely have more of that!” River laughed stumbling a bit, before standing up. Now she had a good view of the bar for the first time since walking in. 

Brick topped a warm wood panelling all along the walls, and the wooden tables and chairs shined with what must have been hours worth of polishing. 

Someone  _ obviously _ loved this bar. 

It showed from the amount of people shoved inside the small bar. Plant like monsters, with jagged teeth, tipsy bunnies with high ringing giggles, some kind of aquatic bird, and was that a skeleton? Or was it one of the bones being thrown around by a pack of dogs? 

Hmm.

There was something else about the bar, besides the obvious magic feeling in the air, that caused River to glance around as she stepped to the horseshoe shaped counter in the front.

Her wariness was pushed to the side, however, once she caught what made Grillby’s so warm and inviting. 

A monster made entirely of fire stood behind the bar serving multiple clients who stood before them. They were dressed in a classic bartending outfit, with the fitted bands on their forearms straining to contain what must be swathes of muscles.

_ Holy fuck, they must be hot as hell. _

River giggled at her own unintentional pun, but sidled up to the bar to order her drink. While waiting, she took a moment to study the fire monster. 

Flames curled and danced on their entire body, with the licking light waving as if in slow motion. Reds, oranges, and yellows twisted inside the small flames, with an occasional flare of blue so light it was almost white. 

Smokey black smoothed the tints of the flares,with the flames atop their head crackling with their movements.

They were tall,  _ much _ taller than River who stood at an average five, five. She bet she would barely come to their chest. They had glasses perched upon their nose that blocked most of their eyes, but River could see a faint outline of where they would be. They had no mouth however. Something that River was fixated on.

_ How do they eat? Can they smile? Do they absorb food like some kind of bacteria? _

River was so engrossed upon her thinking, she didn’t notice the bartender now turning to her.

“Grillbz wants to know what you want to order.” A crackled old bird monster said from beside her.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause you to wait. Just caught up in my mind.” River gave a polite smile before looking at the bartender. 

The action caused a shiver up her spine. 

They were studying her,  _ damn _ near almost as closely as she had studied them. 

Their eyes narrowed as her blue meet theirs. 

If a stare could kill she bet she’d be dead by now. 

This monster didn’t seem to care for her one bit, and she almost felt the need to leave as she shrank in from their withering stare. Her liquor numbed brain decided on  _ other _ measures, besides leaving.

Plastering a lazy grin on, River winked at them and blew a kiss. “One shot of that lovely house whiskey if you could, along with two fireballs.” She ended the last bit with a lewd smile, causing the bartender’s flames to flare slightly with that lovely bluish hue before nodding and stepping to the otherside to fetch her drinks.

  
  


Now Grillby had felt the newest arrival of humans enter his domain, as his fires spread everywhere inside the pub. They danced in the lights, fueld the sign, and whispered underneath every inch of the floor. He was well aware of them being here. But what caused such  _ obvious _ concern was the human sitting in front of him. 

They seemed unassuming, with dyed bright blue hair and shocking blue eyes. Grillby was sure he could lift them with one arm if needed. 

Their soul however, was almost  _ bleeding _ a tormented magic onto the floor. 

Barley held inside her human frame, the power locked within her soul gnawed hungrily to be let out. Magic in a  _ human _ , much less this amount, was something Grillby had not seen in a very long time. 

A dull, frozen blue soul hovered in her chest. The chill, magical air it blew out touched all of the monsters around her, buffeting their weaker souls with her powerful magic. 

It was like seeing a dying star with its energy pulsing slowly. 

A white dwarf? Grillby was a little far behind on the correct terminology, but he felt it fit the magical display before him.

  
  


Watching the bartender make her drinks, River could feel their wariness. Their eyes flickered back to her every now and again, as if  _ she _ was prancing around with a gun demanding money. She hadn’t done anything wrong! 

Whatever was their deal, she wasn’t in the mood for it, her headache from before was returning.

Placing her requested drinks in front of her the monster swept up the bills she placed down on the counter. 

Before stumbling away, River called over her shoulder. “No need to be so cold Grillby.” 

With a flurry of blue locks, she disappeared in the sea of people. Leaving a rather perplexed Grillby.

  
  


Resituating his glasses upon his nose, Grillby studied the remnants of her soul’s magic that had been left behind on the surrounding monster’s. Human’s had an almost,  _ archaic _ , level of magic within themselves, leftover from their ancestors. It wasn’t unbelievable that some would have a higher concentration than others. 

That was what caught his attention.

It was only logical.

Calling his own magic to investigate Grillby scrubbed the bartop obsessively. He would need to keep an eye out for this human.

For curiosity’s sake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we enter the scene! I’ve wanted to do an OC pairing with Grillby for aaaaages so I plucked my sad bitch ™ River to be my victim. She’s got a pretty cool soul huh? 
> 
> Be a shame if… someone fell in love with her over it… and loved and cherished her for it...
> 
> >:]
> 
> But this is going to be a much more mature fic, as mentioned before it will tackle things like self harm, depression, suicidal thoughts, and a few darker things. So please be sure you are not sensitive to these topics before going further, I know it’s pretty lighthearted but I couldn’t be okay with myself it it ended up making anyone upset about it. 
> 
> Read with your own discretion!
> 
> Let me know how you feel, or if anyone feels out of sorts. 
> 
> Toodles :3


	2. Canon Blast

Grillby, in all honesty, had  _ completely _ forgotten about the blue souled human since that night. She had not appeared in weeks and Grillby had more pressing matters. 

Such as his most recent batch of liquors. 

They were coming along nicely within their aging casks, but as he took a sip, something tasted off about it. The formula was the same, similar air contents, he hadn’t changed his magical charge in it… 

Stroking his chin in thought, he was interrupted by his server, Rouge calling down the distillery stairs. 

“Grillbz, we got a bunch of people coming in right now, I need some help.” 

Placing his glass down, Grillby straightened his tie and walked upstairs. The whiskey could wait.

Grillby’s was always busy on weekends, but today it was bursting at the seams. 

“Last call before school starts again.” Rouge had said before hefting a platter of drinks over her shoulder and disappearing. 

Measuring out the ingredients for a cocktail, Grillby couldn’t deny she was right. Human and monster young adults were crowded in the booths, tables, and floor drinking like madmen. 

Chuckling to himself, Grillby remembered those days.

He was midway through pouring a line of shots when his magic surged angrily at a new party entering the doors, causing his flames to spittle with energy, nearly dropping the shaker. 

Composing himself quickly, his eyes darted through the group to try and pinpoint the cause of such an outburst.

The blue haired human was  _ back _ , only this time with a gaggle of female humans, and one rock-like monster. 

Her face had a lazy grin plastered on but her soul wept her magic like tears. The frozen blue soul clutched inside her was  _ still _ blowing it’s chilling wind around her, her friends seemed mainly oblivious to the ticking time bomb standing next to them. 

Giggling from the joke her friend had told her, the blue haired human turned her smiling face at Grillby. 

For a fraction of a second, Grillby could  _ swear _ he felt a flicker of fiery rage inside her soul, but it was soon buried under the frozen waves of despair her soul pushed out. 

Snuffed out like a dying star in an icy ocean. 

Fixing his glasses, Grillby tilted his head in acknowledgement.

The rock monster, Felspar, was the one who ordered the girls orders. 

She laughed and joked with the gaggle of humans from the table across the room. Grillby noted, the blue haired human shot him wary glances now an again. 

He took the next opportunity to ask Felspar the blue haired humans name.

“Oh yuuh mean River? Yaaaa, she’s super niissse.” Felspar slurred out, clutching her latest cocktail close. 

Nodding, Grillby handed the tipsy monster the next round of drinks they had ordered.

River felt the bartender’s stare the entire night. His acting to appear calm was nearly flawless. 

Until he would cast an eye her way, where it felt like a  _ million _ needles digging at her very being. 

Maybe coming back here was a dumb idea. 

Even  _ if _ they had the best whiskey she’d had in ages. Giving a deep sigh, she downed the shot set in front of her, barely tasting the liquid besides the burn in her throat. 

Sparing another glance, her eyes meet theirs causing a deep red blush to spread over her cheeks. If she would have still been looking, River would have seen the flames on the monster jump in surprise.

Grillby had been watching her just a  _ smidge _ to closely. 

He was sure he had overstepped some kind of social line as he saw the blush spread across her already red cheeks. But her embarrassment wasn’t what caused his magic to flare, it was how her  _ soul _ had responded to the others around her.

To his credit, he  _ had _ been studying it out of curiosity. Grillby had never seen a soul with such strong personal walls. Any flutter of his own magic was pushed harshly away with the frozen wind her soul emitted. 

She was a little enigma. 

Able to reject magic so  _ absolutely _ , but also influence the magic of those around her. It was fascinating.

Felspar’s soul was tinted just a  _ shade _ blue from a monster’s usual hue, and from across the room he could even see her magic boosted just a smidge. It was as if her magic could lend its strength to others around it, similar to a green attack used by so many. Only instead of health, it was boosting their magic itself. 

Even now, without being near her, Grillby felt his own flames build in a crack of energy.

“Grillby, hey Grillby! Snap out if it!”

He whipped his head over to the voice calling him. Rouge stood to the side with a drink order in her hands.

“We’ve got a business to run. You can investigate on your own later.” The server lifted her chin to gesture at River, who took another sip of her drink. Keeping his gaze level, Grillby gave a terse nod before turning away from his observant employee.

Bustling away with the newest round of order’s, Rouge tried to find out was so interesting about this calm looking human.

  
  


River shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The bartender had been looking at her with such intensity she had begun to wonder if she had something on her face. But it was like he had been staring past her,  _ beyond _ just her physical self. 

Like something beneath her very skin. 

Shaking her head, River threw herself back in the conversation from before.

“Did you see how he acted when I asked him where he was from? He was almost shaking!”

“I can’t believe he’d try to lie about where he was born! That’s such a dick move.”

“Mmhmm, that’s what I said.” 

“River, are you alright? You’re shaking.” Felspar’s roommate, Angela, was looking at her with concern in her brown eyes.

“Yeah, just need some sugar in my system.” River smiled waggling her eyebrows. The girls laughed, already forgetting. “If you’ll give me a second, I’ll go grab myself some.” Ignoring the catcalls thrown after her, River walked to the bar with trembling knees. 

**“They know your a big fake, who couldn’t see that?”**

It seemed the alcohol wasn’t enough to keep the voices off her back tonight. Gripping the bartop slightly, River took deep measured breaths. 

“Two shots of fireball, and one of the house whiskey.” Placing what she thought was the right amount of money down, River tried reeling the voice in to a sensible volume. 

**“You know you can’t keep us away. We’re a part of you.”**

**“The nasty gross parts you want to get rid of.”**

**“We don’t go away.”**

**“Ever.”**

“Your shots.” A new, masculine voice, interrupted the harsh ones in her head. 

It was deep and even, with a crackled edge to it. 

The underground accent, as River called it, was barely noticeable. But it caught her attention. Snapping her head up, River wasn’t surprised to see the bartender standing in front of her.

“Thank you.” She managed to croak out. Trying to ignore the trembles in her hands, River swallowed the fireball first. 

Grillby’s house whiskey was her new favorite, so she tried to savor the taste, but the need to silence her inner thoughts overruled. Licking her lips, River smiled as she felt the familiar warmth in her stomach.

“ _ Amazing _ , as always Grillbz. Thanks for the shots.” Winking at him, River turned back to her table. Leaving Grillby in a position that he felt was going to become a common occurrence. 

He had seen, no he had  _ felt _ , her souls magic begin turning in on itself as she stood at the bar. 

Grillby hadn’t seen a soul attack itself so  _ harshly _ since.... 

Well that wasn’t the matter at hand. 

It was a testament to human determination with how her soul was still held together. Mangled, but together.

It had begun to erode at her souls outer walls, but as the liquor touched her lips he felt everything just,  _ stop _ . As if she had placed a pause button on her soul. The freezing wind halted, the strange magic, her icy barriers, it all stopped for a fraction of a second. 

During that second, Grillby felt that whisper of power again. 

It was gone as soon as the liquid was empty in the shot glass.

Wiping the leftover alcohol off the bar, Grillby tried to keep a better eye on her soul as she helped her intoxicated friends stand. Her tolerance wasn’t anything to laugh at with the amount he had served, but her walk was  hypnotically stable as she laughed with her drunk friends. 

His magic rumbled unhappily as River and her friends began to leave. 

Quite the enigma indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh boy, what a spicy bit to chomp on.   
> Grillby’s just gotta study this weird little human, I mean who wouldn’t?  
> It’s not like he…  
> Kinda thinks she’s interesting >:]
> 
> Sort of a short chapter but my brains useless and doesn’t like spitting out ideas easy.   
> Toodles :3


	3. Smirnoff Cake

“Order up for table three!” 

“Got it, thanks dude.” River hefted the large tray over her shoulder and walked through the chaotic diner to the foods final destination. 

Dodging a chair sticking way further out then necessary, some persons sticky fingered kid, and  _ one _ expertly placed twirl later, she had reached her goal. 

“Alright so I’ve got a reuben with pepper fries, the number five breakfast special, hold the yolk, and a kids pizza meal. Careful! Plates are hot.” 

Placing the hot cookware down in front of the family, River smiled as their kid immediately dug in, coating their face in sauce. “Looks like someone’s hungry! Do you need anything else right now?”

“Oh no, were good, thanks though.” The parents began trying to wipe the sauce covered child’s face off, but to no avail. A hungry kid overruled  _ any _ social etiquette. 

The short break was quickly ended as an older woman shook her glass passive aggressively, her sunken eyes almost hidden behind her false lashes.

“Diet right?” River gave her most polite smile as the woman seethed before handing her glass over.

“Right! And make it quick! I’m  _ very _ thirsty.” She all but snapped her fingers as River took a quick scan of her other tables while walking to the drink machine. 

They were short a server again, nothing unusual. 

Two other waitresses bustled around, their faces red with sweat. The AC had gone out  _ again _ earlier. 

And their tightwad of a boss was too cheap to call someone today to fix it.

Hence her current dilemma. 

Thirsty, hot, angry guests, and next to no help. 

What a grand day. 

Taking the precious seconds she had while filling the customers drink, River took a deep chug out of her thermos. Lukewarm ginger tea never tasted that great to begin with,  _ especially _ after sitting in the confines of a thermos for seven hours now. 

But that spicy ginger was supported by a bitter gin.

Closing her eyes River let the numbing liquid coat her tongue, giving a happy hum as the booze tickled her throat. 

Just a  _ hint _ of orange spice added earlier really balanced the flavors. 

“Hey! Your drinks overflowing!” 

Tiffany’s voice ripped River out of her taste world, causing her to jump slightly. 

“Jesus fucking christ Tiff you scared the shit out of me!”

Tiffany’s grin could break her face if she smiled any harder. 

“You bitch!” Swatting at her friend playfully, River grabbed a rag to wipe up the growing sticky puddle of soda.

“Well maybe if someone wasn’t too busy drinking her ‘go go’ juice.” Casting a knowing glance at her thermos, Tiffany tsked. 

“I thought you quit dragging that lug of metal here. Your tea tastes like dirt and hot water.”

“The  _ indignation _ !” Placing a hand on her chest in mock offence River screwed the cap on her thermos and grabbed the now clean glass off the drink caddy. 

“Tea is a  _ richly _ based craft! People learn how to brew it their  _ entire _ lives! The  _ audacity _ of some people.” Grinning over her shoulder at Tiffany, she placed the glass of soda in front of its owner. 

“This isn’t over and you know it young lady!” Tiffany called after her, soft enough the customers couldn’t hear her. 

Her eyes flicked back up to were River was helping another table settle in while grabbing the order from another group. 

Good. She seemed distracted enough. 

Carefully, she unscrewed her friends thermos before taking a whiff at the contents. 

She nearly gagged, the scent of gin was so overpowering. “How the  _ fuck _ does she drink this crud.” Tiffany muttered to herself. 

Giving one more second to check in on her friend (who was helping another waitress carry a loaded tray of food) Tiffany dumped the ginger, gin, whatever the fuck it was, into the sink. 

Taking care to rinse the bottle clean of any residue, she filled it up with new boiled water, before replacing the tea bag that had been steeping inside earlier.

Rather proud of her handiwork, Tiffany turned back into the steaming kitchen.

  
  


Break time came almost two hours later, when the restaurant was emptied enough they could afford it. After ensuring the other girls had their breaks, River gingerly sat down in the stuffy armchair inside the breakroom. 

Her feet ached from being up without a rest for almost nine hours. Popping her shoes off, she rubbed them absentmindedly while checking on her most recent messages.

**“Your lucky you’ve even got people who talk to you.”**

**“Who wants to talk to a grumpy girl like you?”**

**“Lowlife.”**

**“Scum.”**

**“Alcoholic mess.”**

It seemed even with adding  _ more _ gin to her tea wasn’t enough to keep the self deprecating thoughts away today. 

Groaning as her thumb dug into a rather tender spot on her foot, River buried herself in Sam and Tiffany’s message war.

**Athenas slut :** You know your memes are subpar at best.

**THE Bitch :** fuck u

**THE Bitch :** mines the shit checl this out

**THE Bitch :** img.pic

**Athenas slut :** How charming. You had to do it em’.

**sadboi :** Have you ever thought of maybe not doing it to em. Or maybe that you don’t have to do it to em. Have you ever considered it?

**THE Bitch :** all i know is doing it to em

**Athenas slut :** You can’t see it, but I’m actually laughing right now.

“Oh my god.” River laughed before twisting in her chair to look into the kitchen. “Aren’t you  _ supposed _ to be working?” 

Tiffany’s laugh echoed off the walls as her and Greg popped into the doorway wearing stained aprons. 

Both of them were doing it to em. 

They exploded into laughter before Tiffany wiped a fake tear off her cheek dramatically.

“Aren’t  _ you _ supposed to be taking a break?” Tiffany’s lopsided grin offset Greg’s serious face as he watched River. 

“Do your feet hurt? I can rub them.”

“Uh, no I’m okay Greg. Thank you though.” River smiled politely at Greg but scooted her chair back a few inches. 

Turning to face Tiffany she shot her a pleading look. “I am taking my break, but I  _ haven’t _ gotten my supper yet.” 

Catching on quickly, Tiffany smacked Greg on his shoulder. 

“Yeah why don’t you make her usual dude. She might actually talk to you if you weren’t so creepy.” She ended with a low whisper, glancing at River’s obviously uncomfortable situation.

“Yeah that’s no problem at all! I’ll, um, go do that, right now.” Greg shuffled back into the kitchen awkwardly leaving Tiffany with her friend. 

Sighing deeply, Tiffany plopped in the chair next to her.

“What the fuck man, I thought you said you’d give my dude a chance.”

“I am! Or, I’m trying too. I don’t know Tiff, he’s kind of awkward and um…”

“ _ Stupid _ . I know. Trust me I fucking know I work with him.” Tiffany wiped the sweat off her brow with the bottom of her apron. 

“He’s into you, I know he is, and I think you’d like him too if you went on a date or something with him.”

River picked at her nails and shifted in her chair. 

“I know he is, but like, I don’t know. I’m not sure if it’s the fact he kinda looks like him or what.”

“ _ Bitch. _ ”

“Bitch what? Fuck you! He does look like Derek!” In response to Tiffany’s deadpan face, she tossed an empty water bottle at her. 

“He’s got the same face thing going on.” She huffed.

“Explain to me how, and in.” Checking her watch Tiffany grimaced. “ _ Five _ minutes. My short breaks almost up.”

“They’ve both got these kinda, thin noses? With that dirty blonde hair and he’s just  _ way _ to fucking tall.” River finished quietly, turning in on herself again.

“Dude your kink’s  _ always _ been tall guys, like, since we were twelve. Don’t try that with me.” Leaning in close, Tiffany placed a rare, gentle hand on her friend’s shoulder. 

“Is it because you’re still beating yourself up over it?”

“ _ What _ !? No!” River gave an undignified squawk and swatted the hand off her shoulder. 

Rubbing where her friends hand had been she gazed out the window, the calm summer night contrasted with the brightly lit building. 

“It’s because he’s just...to nice. It makes me super uncomfortable ya know?”

Whatever Tiffany had been going to say was interrupted by Greg returning with a steaming plate of food.

“Alright, I hope I made it  _ just _ the way you like it!” He smiled proudly at River who took the hot plate. 

A greasy burger slathered with cheesy mac and cheese on a salty pretzel bun greeted her. Her mouth watered as she plucked a garlic pepper fry and bit into it. The fluffy potato steamed while she dunked it into the ketchup puddle she created.

“This is great Greg, thank you.  _ Really, _ I mean it.” River gave him a real smile causing the tall cook to almost vibrate with happiness.

“Yeah no problem! I’ll do it  _ anytime _ you ask” He added eagerly. 

Tiffany’s watch beeped, alerting everyone that time was unfortunately, still a thing.

“Seems my breaks up, enjoy your food babe. Seems it was made with  _ a lot _ of care.” Heaving herself to her feet, Tiffany shot her friend one more look before herding Greg back into the kitchen. 

River gave a deep sigh before looking pitifully at her supper. 

He always gave her extra mac and cheese, he knew it was her favorite part. It almost made her sick looking at the delicious meal he made for her.

“This is dumb. Just eat your food.” River mumbled shoveling more fries in her mouth. But the delightful potatoes had lost their charm. 

Biting into the burger revealed another issue, he had put spicy mayo on bun. 

Her heart sank a little. 

Everyone always forgot she  _ hated _ mayo. 

Peeling the bun off she put the burger down and resigned herself to eating it with a fork. Thankfully, she was distracted by her phone going off.

**Athenas slut :** Hey, are you alright River?

**sadboi :** yeah I’m fine, why?

**Athenas slut :** Because your aura has been weakening lately, I wanted to make sure.

River smiled despite herself. Her friends always meant the best for her, even if it meant shoving a way to eager to please nice boy under her nose.

**sadboi :** I’m just fine babe, my “auras” probably weak because I’m not drunk lol

**Athenas slut :** You know that’s not true.

**sadboi :** you even said yourself my stuff gets better when I drink, its only logic Sam

“Oh my god, stop texting and eat your food bitch!” Tiffany hollard from in the kitchen. 

River almost choked on her burger. 

“Your making my phone go crazy! Quit it!” Grinning, she complied with her friend’s demand. The messages on her phone unread and forgotten.

**Athenas slut :** I hope you know what your doing River

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another little peek into Sam, our resident mysterio! I have no idea how they’re going to turn out.
> 
> But look at lil River, working and stuff.  
> She sure loves her tea :)
> 
> Toodles :3


End file.
